


Rise

by KrastBannert



Series: Moments [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rebirth, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-04 16:25:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16350089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrastBannert/pseuds/KrastBannert
Summary: Every Guardian has a beginning. Some Guardians are born amidst tranquility, a sea of calm amidst the hell of a fallen system. Others are born in fire, fighting even for their first breaths. And for some, their true birth isn't their first resurrection...





	1. A Second Life

# Chapter One – A Second Life

## 

“We all deserve second chances, but not for the same mistake.” – Thabiso Owethu Xabanisa

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_Thu-thump._

_Thu-thump._

_Thu-thump._

The quiet double thud was the lone thing disturbing the quiet sunset. A pair of slate eyes blinked once, twice, three times, straining against the day’s dying light. The owner took a breath – deep, shuddering, trying to fill his lungs – and descended into a vicious fit of hacking and coughing. Birds cried over his head, wings flapping as they were spooked away. Every joint in his body joined together in a chorus of cracks as he rolled over, chest heaving, stomach struggling to lose food that simply wasn’t there.

“Please take it easy. I don’t want you dying yet.”

He barely registered the voice as he hefted himself over, onto his back. His eyes closed again as his body shuddered, screaming at him to stop all of his movement, the muscles _screaming_ at him, crying out for rest even though they’d been asleep for…how long had he been asleep? He breathed, shallower this time, and slower, more controlled. He didn’t cough. As his breathing returned to normal, and he felt the heaving come to a stop, he finally cracked his eyes open once again. 

Above him floated an orb. Small, only a little bigger than his fist, a single blue light at its center. Weathered polygons floated around the orb before they coalesced, coming to a stop and attaching to the little blue light.

“Good morning!” The same metallic voice he’d heard was obviously cheerful. His hands dug into the dirt under him, pushing him away slightly as he stared at it, eyes widened and mouth agape. Obviously, it didn’t register his discomfort.” I’ve waited so _long_ to find you! I thought I never would but…but here you are!” The little orb did an excited flip, letting out a little whoop.

“What…what are you?” he slowly asked. Instinct told him to get away, but somehow, he couldn’t get his muscles to move.

“I’m a Ghost!” came the enthusiastic response.

“A…ghost.”

“Yep!” The orb twirled around again before pausing suddenly, the light swiveling. It…was it looking at him?” You…have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

The only way he could respond was with a small shake of the head.

“Well…there’s a lot to explain then. Long story short, we Ghosts look for people who can channel Light, and we resurrect them to protect the last of humanity against the Darkness.”

“Right…” Sitting up fully, he couldn’t help but be slightly skeptical. Resurrection? Light? Darkness? None of that made any sense. Besides…people couldn’t possibly be resurrected?

Right?

Slowly, he rose up to his feet, teeth clenching down as his body cried out. He stiffly straightened, taking a single halting step before falling down to one knee. He shook his head, blinking away at the tears that wanted to fall.

“Here, let me try something.” The “Ghost” flew around him quickly before settling down by his leg. Wiping away some of the wetness, he felt his heart leap into his throat as a shimmering teal beam pierced the air, wrapping around his leg. His calf turned ice cold, then burning hot before suddenly cooling down, the pain that was once there replaced a profound relief. The little orb floated to his other leg, replicating the effect.” Alright, try that!”

Apprehensively rising again, he tried taking another step. When he felt his foot hit the ground, steady as a rock, his heart leaped. He could have, too – and very nearly did. Looking up, he managed to take in his surroundings as the day’s light slowly faded away.

He was standing underneath a massive pine, situated along the shore of a glittering, idyllic lake. Snow capped mountains touched the sky off in the distance. The remains of a cabin stood nearby, desiccated concrete pilings coming up from the water in front of it. He felt a terrific sense of peace as he looked at the scene. It was tranquil. Perfect, almost.

But this all bothered him. Despite his sudden struggle, he couldn’t remember anything. That…that shouldn’t just happen. And yet…here he was. With some little flying robot talking about the “Light” and the “Darkness”. Nothing made sense.

“Do…do you remember anything? A name, maybe?” He looked over at the Ghost. The little orb seemed sheepish, almost.” I mean, I can’t just call you ‘Guardian’ the rest of the time we’re together, right?”

He snorted, trying to think. It was on the tip of his tongue…” Wolfram. Wolfram Siegfried Adler.”

“That’s…long. How about I just call you Sig?”

“I like it.” Sig eyed the orb questioningly.” What about you? Do you have a name?”

If a floating robot could be despondent, Sig was watching it happen.” N-no, we…we Ghosts don’t really have names. Just identification codes.”

Sig frowned. This little Ghost was clearly intelligent and was exhibiting clear feelings. Not giving it a name seemed just…unfair.” How about…Acier?”

“Acier? French for ‘steel’?” The ghost questioned, almost frowning at him a moment before suddenly spinning around wildly.” I love it!” And he was back to bubbly. Sig gave a small smile, before glancing around again, smile drooping to a frown.

“I do have one question.”

“What’s that?”

“Where the fuck are we?”


	2. In Fire and Fury

# Chapter Two – In Fire and Fury

## “The soldier above all prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – General Douglas Macarthur

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“Uh, five more minutes.” 

Something tickled her nose, and she rolled over, curling in on herself. 

“Eyes up, Guardian.” She groaned, suddenly sneezing as her hair again tickled her nose. As she began to lay back down she let out a yelp, suddenly leaping up as the cold enveloped her body.

“Told you to get up, didn’t I?” That voice again. Rough, harsh, with a metallic grating. She glanced over, eyebrows raising, lips parting in shock as she found it’s source. A small, floating orb, sparkling with rust, an iridescent blue light at its center. The little orb, without warning, suddenly flew apart, little sections flying around the glowing light.” And please, don’t cut yourself on the metal. Infections are tricky.”

“Uh…could…could you please…” she stammered, arms drawing over herself. She had noticed only a moment ago she wore only her underclothes. And she was slightly less worried about the floaty light than she was about the fact that she was _cold_.

The little orb’s sections stopped rotating for a moment, pausing in the air. The pieces coalesced, and it bobbed up and down for a moment.” I’ll be back. Wait here.” Glancing around, she looked down at herself. She turned her hand over and over – yep, pale purple. Not…white? Was that…she didn’t even know where she was going. She traced slender, scar covered fingers over her arm, little swirls of light passing over her skin.

She stood there, mesmerized, until suddenly the floating orb reappeared.” Here, found you some stuff.”

A moment later, after a blue beam had passed over her, she felt the weight of heavy cloth on her body. Sighing with relief, she shook her head, tossing her hair back and forth. It felt so good to do that. Glancing around, she slowly picked her way through the tangled, rusted metal to stand on the sandy beach.

The place was quiet except for the pounding of stormy waves, salt spray stinging coldly against her skin. Strands of her hair floated around her face in the wind as she gazed up at the clouds. Dark, heavy, ready to drop their burden on the world below. Storm’s coming. Bad one. She spared a thought for the ruins in front of her – shattered towers of steel and concrete, vines and greenery snaking up amongst the broken columns and windows. 

The place held something dark. She could feel it in her bones, every instinct telling her _run. run, don’t look back. keep moving get away away AWAY_

“We need to move,” she whispered to the little floating orb, which was perched near her shoulder.

“Agreed,” it stated,” but you should take the gun with you.”

“Gun?” she asked, inclining her head to follow where the orb was moving. It rotated forward in what she guessed was a nod, then settled over something beautiful. A revolver, half-buried in the sand, butt sticking up as if to say it couldn’t be beaten. It was old, worn – the corrosion evident on its side – but the gold plating was still visible, what looked like real diamonds embedded in various places. She picked it up with near reverence, extending a hand forwards with it gripped outwards, finger along the barrel.

It felt _perfect_.

“Some other junk here, too. I’ll save it for later.” As the metallic voice spoke, she peered at the little thing. She watched, slightly amazed, as a small collection of things disappeared from around the beach, de-materializing in a wave of pixels.” Alright, let’s move. We need to find a way out of here.”

“Agreed.” Tucking the revolver into her belt, she started the long walk up the beach, boots digging into the sand. They continued in silence for a time, floating and walking up the beach next to each other until they reached a decrepit sea wall.

“Do you have a name?” The little orb was floating a little ways above her as she climbed, digging her hands into the cracks in the rock. She paused a moment, fighting for breath as the words struggled to surface in her mind.

“Uh…yeah…Lyudmila,” she eventually gasped. She couldn’t feel her hands anymore. Or her knees.” Or just…wew…Lia.” She hissed as a piece of rebar cut into her palm, the burrs on the sharpened end sticking through her stick. With a last breath, she hauled herself up the last little height of the sea wall. She sat herself up, legs dangling off the side as she picked as she wiped at the blood on her palm.

“Hold a moment. I can fix that,” the orb floated around to her palm, and a little blue light shone out of the orb’s eye onto the small cut. Lia stared, mouth agape, as the sinew crawled back across the cut, sinew knitting back together within seconds.

“That…that was amazing.” Lia glanced up at the orb; she imagined that if it could smile, it would be right now. Smug, and prideful.” Thank you…I’m sorry, I don’t actually know what you’re named.”

“Usually, it’s traditional for a Guardian to be the one to name their Ghost.” The Ghost, as it was evidently called, responded flatly. The name came to her, seemingly obvious, somehow.

“Veles,” Lia responded without hesitation.

“Ah, yes, Slavic god of the underworld, water, forests, and earth.” His shell rotated excitedly.” Seems to fit. Veles it is.” Lia smiled before smoothly rising to her feet, turning to again face the city.

“Need to get a move on. Storms coming, big one.” Veles vanished before she could reply, leaving her alone. _” Don’t worry, I’m still here. Little trick we have. You should feel a bit heavier, now – weight in the chest behind the heart.”_ Now that he mentioned it, her chest did feel heavier.

“Well, any idea where to go?”

_“That big domed building about ten kilometers away. Good vantage point, records show it used to be some type of military installation, but not what it did. Very heavily redacted – someone didn’t want secrets getting out, that’s for sure.”_

“No choice about it. All’s well that ends well, I suppose.” Adjusting her revolver to be slightly looser, easier to draw, she began the long trek across the great city.

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The rain was pouring out of the sky, drowning the world. She could barely see in front of her.

_“Get out of the rain! This is useless!”_

_Yeah, you’re damn right._ Ducking into a nearby building, she paused to wring out some of her clothes. It didn’t make a difference. She was _still_ soaked.

And this city…everything just felt _off_. It was as if there were eyes, eyes everywhere in the darkness. The feeling didn’t go away as began making her way through the old, crumbling buildings, jumping from building to building. Still, she felt as if she were being followed. _Stalked_ , even. By…something. Even the darkness in these buildings felt unnatural.

Eventually giving in to her instincts, she swung herself out onto a windowsill, then scrambled up the side of the tower to the roof. She was now only three, four kilometers from the domed building. Taking off at a run, the rock that had dropped in her stomach was gone somewhat. Matching her footfalls to the steady drumbeat of the slackened rain created a strangely soothing melody.

_“Energy spike! Lia, watch out!”_ The rough grating she’d come to know was Veles suddenly disturbed her, and as a greenish-blue flare of light exploded from underneath her feet, tossing her up in the air, she let out an unexpected scream. Lia felt her back thud against the ground moments later, and she shot to her feet, revolver cradled in her hands, pointing into the shadows.

It was dark, unnaturally so, the light from above barely penetrating. She gulped, though, as first one, then a second, third, fourth, fif- _dozens_ of unearthly screeches pierced the blackness. Her mind froze up completely, telling her body to give up, give in, stiffen up and let _death_ claim her, but her body had other ideas. 

Without even thinking – as the first creature lunged out of the dark, all she could _think_ to do was let out an ear-piercing scream - she jumped straight up as high as she could, grabbing onto a rusty support beam jutting out into the gaping hole left from the explosion. She felt her arms wrap around the rusted steel, and she hauled herself up as she felt the claws of...whatever those _things_ were brush against her boots. She launched herself onto the roof, breathing hard, as Veles whispered in her mind.

_“Uh…please don’t stop.”_

She didn’t stop to watch. As she tried to move forwards, Lia felt her blood run cold as she heard another awful, spine-tingling screech. Her vision darkened around her as she stumbled. She felt something hold her back, felt like a thousand hands were gripping at her ankles, but there was _nothing_ there. She heard herself scream - in terror or rage, she wasn't sure - as she willed her feet to push forwards, to do something, _anything_ but stay still. She couldn't hear the crackle of lightning in front of her, could barely feel the scorching burn through her clothing. Lia's mind was too focused on the crushing feeling on her shoulders, how her lungs felt constricted to pinpricks.

_"Run, Lia! Just RUN!"_ Lia barely registered the instruction, she just followed it. As best she could, anyways. Taking a stifling, shuddering breath - _smells of death, ozone, and...burning flesh_ \- she stumbled forwards. One foot in front of the other. Just forwards. _Left. Right. Left. Right._

Then suddenly fell to the ground, out in the open. She was elated - she could see, could feel everything, could _breathe_ again. She wanted to flop on her back and sleep, she wanted to celebrate. But Veles' voice in her ear kept her moving. _" KEEP MOVING!"_ Lia risked a glance, and the horde was there - a flood of rotten, decrepit flesh, gnashing teeth, razors for claws. She scrambled up to her feet, sprinted forwards. She caught a glimpse of another building in front of her and turned herself towards the edge. Taking one last breath, she put on a burst of speed. Everything in her body reached the edge, took one last step.

Lia pushed herself over the edge, arms outstretched, the screaming of the dead filling her ears. She closed her eyes and _prayed_. 

Her eyes snapped open again as she felt palms smack concrete, and she launched herself up and over the parapet, sprinting as hard as she could, legs starting to burn as the lactic acid built up in her calves.

Lia didn’t – _couldn’t_ – stop, though. She could still hear the screeching, even through the pounding downpour, just behind her. She could vaguely hear Veles yelling, but Lia wasn’t paying attention. Too focused on _one foot in front of the other. One, two. One, two. One, two_. Chanting the cadence in her mind, she willed her legs to move faster, just that little extra bit. She made the leap across to another building, and, finally feeling she put some distance between her and the horde, she stopped to take her breath. 

Hunched over, breath coming out in short, sharp gasps, she couldn’t see what was coming at her. Lia felt something _impossibly_ strong grip her around the throat, lift her up. Her breath again constricted, she tried to swallow, tried to breath, tried to _see_ , but nothing worked. Out of the darkness came a sudden, deep bass sound. A chuckle, almost.

Three harsh, unblinking eyes – burning bright green, a sickly, ugly, yellow green – stared at her through the black. As she struggled, hands grasping at the claws around her neck, that deathly chuckle echoed in her ears. The already iron grip tightened again. She had to do something – anything – but she couldn’t think.

Instinct, it was.

Lia felt a flare inside her. Something hot, fierce, wild, yet cold and unflinching all the same. She feels it in her mind, in her heart, a tingle in the depths of her soul. She pulled it up, deeper, welcoming the cold, pushes it into her hands. She lets her hands drop away from the arm that’s killing her, only to bring them together again. Pulling one back, a bow of purple light and black plasma materializes from nothing. The eyes staring at her blink, and she lets the shining arrow pierce the bone. The thing dropped her and _roared_.

She felt herself draw again, and shot. Draw, and shoot. Draw, and shoot. Until the monster explodes with one final roar in a burst of purple and black.

_“By the Traveler…a Stalker.”_

Turning, ignoring the words she heard Veles just whisper, she steels herself, breathing to control her heart, thundering like a freight train at a thousand miles an hour. She turns to the horde, closing in on her, only one rooftop away now. She draws, bringing the immaterial fletching back to brush her cheek.

_Cold, harsh, uninviting. Yet yearning for her to reach out, touch it just that little bit more. Telling her to just reach…_

_“I believe someone called for help down there!”_ A cheerful voice called out. Veles materialized in front of her again, staring upwards as a blur raced over her, the shrill, angry whine of jets calling out to the pair. Everything seemed to stop as the horde just _vanished_ , disappearing in a pall of fire and smoke, the roar echoing off the buildings.

“I…may have called some nearby cavalry.”

“I-I won’t…c-complain.” She shuddered out the words, arms wrapping around herself as she sank to her knees in the rain. Veles turned to look down at her.

“It’s alright. Most…most resurrections aren’t like that.”

Lia snorted. _As if that helps._ She could almost _feel_ an unspoken _I’m sorry_ behind the words. 

“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Veles urged, bumping her shoulder. Lia just shook her head, watching as the blur – a plane, or ship, she guessed – came around for another pass. The rooftop was swallowed in flames once more, and the building let out an awful moan as the ship roared away.

_“I’ll stay in the area until you leave. Stay safe down there.”_ That same chipper voice, with a lilting roll at the ends of words. It didn’t help her.

“Come on, seriously, we need to go. More of them might be around here.” Veles was really urgent now, coming around to her face. Lia just shook her head. She could still feel the burn in her legs. The tingling instinct to _draw_ , and rain down death upon the world.

“Not yet.” The words were barely a whisper. Her new life, her new beginning had started in fire, and death. _Just like it ended, before I…before I woke up._

“Alright.” The whispered reply held more emotion than she thought would have been possible for a robot. She felt Veles settle down on her shoulder, a strangely comforting weight in the rain.

They stayed that way for hours in silence until she finally found the will to stand again, Veles’ final whispered _I’m sorry_ and Lia’s mumbled _Me too_ the only sounds that were heard among the drumbeat of the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that was a long one. And a bit rough. Didn't really edit. Just kinda said 'fuck it' - just put it all on paper and went, because college sucks and I just wanted to write. Hopefully it satisfies.
> 
> Feel free to rant, rave, comment, and otherwise review.
> 
> Auf wiedersehen!
> 
> -Krast


	3. Never Stop Fighting

# Chapter III – Never Stop Fighting

## “Whatever you have to do, just find an excuse to win! Keep going!” – Unknown speaker, Lone Survivor (2013) Intro

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Slogging through a tower of the timeless, of the time-lost. Their angry yet emotionless red eyes burned into memory, the evidence of their work born across her skin. They were all she could remember. The burning red, the torturous pain as energy bolts lashed her side, her screams as _they_ tried to take over her mind and body. 

How long had it been? Since she’d first fled into that…place? 

She couldn’t tell. Couldn’t _remember_. Time had flowed differently, in _there_. In that towering structure, that hellscape, whatever it was. She didn’t understand it. Didn’t, but _something_ in her was crying out, yearning to go back, to look harder. To untangle the webs and the mysteries, to _pull back_ the veil and peer into the mysteries of the universe _it_ had hinted at. That was exactly what _it_ wanted. 

And, well, she just couldn’t give that to it. 

And now, she was _free_. She could see the sky, that blessed, beautiful, red-orange sky. Taste the sweet, soupy air, thick. Not like that…that dry, stale _nothing_ in that tower. A heavy breeze ghosted her cheek, heavy raindrops splattering against her pale skin as she crawled through the muck, and she could have cried in happiness. It was almost too much for her to handle, all at once. 

She risked a glance down as she paused, turning her hand – clutched against her chest – slightly. Her little Ghost. Inferno. Her one companion. _Last_ companion. The Light had gone dark months ago. 

It hadn’t come back. 

She squeezed her fist a little tighter around her closest, last friend. Heaving her empty hand forwards, she staggered to her feet, standing at the precipice in front of her. Her hand hung limply; she couldn’t feel that hand anymore. Iridescent white motes danced in her eyes. She didn’t look at their source. She didn’t need to. It was from her bond, corrupted by the things in that tower. 

She breathed, filling her lungs despite the omnipresent sharp, stabbing pain in her chest. The thick carbon stench of thick, natrocarbonatite lava, and the sharp tang of burnt matches reached her nostrils as her leg gave out, and she crumpled to the ground again. She shook her head, blinking away the few tears that dared to surface. 

Turning, she resumed her struggle up the muddy roadway. The muck was thick, and soupy, a disgusting stew of rust, dirt, broken concrete and asphalt in the thickening rain. A harsh surface for her already broken body. 

_Just keep going. Fight. Keep going._

The words echoed in her mind as she haltingly crawled her way up the embankment. Even the slight exertion made her body _scream_. 

And still so far… 

Not that she had a destination in mind. She just needed to be as far away from that place as she could. The hours dragged on. And on. And on. She still felt no farther away. That persistent call in the air, that call she could feel in her bones to come back and submit was still there, coming from that dreaded place, that place that towered over the cliffs of the alien world. 

With a heavy sigh, she slumped down in the mud, forehead resting on her arm. 

She wanted to give up. But she knew in her she couldn’t. Drawing a deep, shuddering breath, she coughed, tasted blood, and pulled herself farther along. One hand forwards, dragging, clawing, anything to keep moving forwards as raindrops began to tickle her bare skin. Glancing towards the skies, she finally saw the time of day. It was darker, now. Nighttime. She felt her eyes try to close, and she forced them back open. 

It had been so long since she slept. 

Rolling over onto her back, she heaved another breath, and just lay there, Inferno clutched to her breast. As she lay there the skies darkened to purple, then finally black. There were no stars. Venus hadn’t seen stars in eons. 

And now, as she struggled to stay awake, eyes fighting to draw closed, and send her into the dark. 

_No! NO! I won’t go into the dark!_

The words, screamed in her mind, proved to be her last, as her eyes closed, and the exhaustion she had been denying finally came over. 

She could hear voices as the dark took her. They were her imagination, of course. Her mind playing tricks on her. Or _them_. She didn’t care at this point. She was tired. And it was over. 

Before she slid into the void, she felt herself lifted off the ground, a pair of arms cradling her legs and back. 

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##### Six months later

##### Consensus General Hospital, Trauma Wing

She sat up straight in her bed, arms at her sides, staring out the window. Stiff, unmoving, like a statue. She’d been in hospital for nearly six months. Six _months_. And she’d only been awake the past few weeks. Her doctors had said she’d been in a coma for most of her time here, slipping in and out of limbo, teetering on the brink of death. 

Radiolaria poisoning. Radiation sickness. Pneumonia. Dozens of shattered bones. Punctured lung. Severe starvation. Multiple bacterial infections. Four concussions and a TBI. 

The fact that she was still alive, they’d said, was a flat-out _miracle_. She could have snorted. Some fucking miracle. 

None of the rest of her team was alive. Nine people had gone down there. 

Only she had come out. 

Yeah, a _miracle_. 

Her eyes flitted over to where Inferno sat on the bedside table. The Light, even this close to the Traveler – the orb hung just outside her window, its gentle curves visible even at night – still hadn’t come back on. She doubted it ever would. So she sat there, staring. Wondering. Waiting. Hoping, against hope. 

And nothing ever came. 

“Ma’am, you have…you have a guest.” The nurse’s voice surprised her, but she didn’t jump. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink. She gave no response except the flick of a finger to beckon the guest in. 

“Please, be kind to her.” The nurse’s voice was low, murmuring. _Just pretending to care. Like they all do_. 

“I understand.” The voice that replied was low, a deep rumble of thunder that carried through the room. She heard the nurse’s soft slippers fade away, drowned out by the quiet thud of combat boots on the tile. There was a momentary huff of exertion, and she saw a body step into view, blocked by a chair. 

Her eyes flicked over as the chair was set down. A tall, muscular human in a trench coat took a careful seat. She could feel a pair of eyes gazing at her. She slowly turned her head to eye him back, sea green meeting grey. 

All the therapists that she had talked to, all the doctors, they had all been intimidated by her gaze. But this man, this newcomer…he just stared right back at her. 

“Sara Jane Kaiserin,” He finally drawled, ending the awkward silence, fingers threading together in front of him.” Quite a piece of work, you are.” 

The woman in question raised an eyebrow minutely but didn’t respond. 

Not phased, he continued.” Youngest staff sergeant ever in the Future War Cult Pararescue Corps. Sixteen commendations for bravery. The ‘Aptrgangr’, as your squad called you. The again-walker. And, now, lone survivor. Quite the resume.” 

She felt her breath hitch. He knew her. How…how did he know her? There was not a _single_ Guardian in the Tower that knew her like that. 

“H-how…do you…know that?” The words were hoarse, vocal cords not used to working. The singsong she remembered having was not there. 

“You might be surprised how easy it is to hack into Vanguard personnel files. Or to just ask Ikora when you’re pretty close to her.” The hint of a smile ghosted across his face. 

“W-who are you? An…and wha…w-what are y-you doing…here?” 

He sighed, rubbing his forehead as if unsure.” Honestly, when I heard the lone survivor was awake, I wanted to know everything about the experience. Figured you might be a little pissed off if I started asking questions about the experience, so I’ll ask a different one.” He scooted his chair closer, a piercing, but somehow kind glint in his eyes.” How are you feeling?” 

She blinked. Sara had been asked that question so many times. He seemed...seemed genuine. But no one here was genuine, it felt like.” And why would you care?” 

“Because I know what being a lone survivor feels like.” The kindness flared for a moment, the glint hardening into a sheen of unbreakable will forged from unspeakable pain. She stared back with the same iron gaze. 

“Then _you_ should know how I feel.” 

“I do. And you don’t have to go it alone. But it seems you’re determined to.” The bass rumble was quiet, now, like thunder over the mountains in the distance. He rose, smooth and graceful, and turned around. She heard the sound of a pen scribbling before he turned again, holding up an old-fashioned paper pad. 

“Contact info. Let me know if you need anything.” He dropped the pad on the table, next to Inferno, returned the chair to its proper place. She turned her gaze back to the window, averting her gaze as he left. 

A little metallic voice managed to get her attention.” I just want you to know, Inferno will be alright.” 

She turned her eyes – a weathered, battered grey set of polygons, a blue light at the center hung in the air in front of her. She glared at the Ghost, the thought occurring in the back of her mind that it belonged to the strange man – the Guardian, she realized – she’d just talked to. She didn’t believe him as he fluttered away. 

Not until hours later, when, as she closed her eyelids, lights in her room and hall off, the curtains drawn, a single light flickered in the room. She opened her eyes to see a single bright, blue point burning in the night. 

“Sa…Sara?” That _voice_. That little, metallic voice that rose and fell Like the fall of rain after spending a year in the desert. You hate it, because it feels wrong, out of place, but its so good, so amazing, so _relieving_ , that you just want to drink it all in at once, desperate for the relief. 

“Inferno,” Sara finally breathed.” You…you’re…you’re alive?” 

“Did…did we make it? Is this…this isn’t another simulation?” The Ghost rose tentatively off the table, as if testing legs that had fallen asleep, looking around at the hospital room. 

“Not a simulation, it’s…we’re…we’re _home_.” With that, Inferno rocketed into Sara’s chest. 

“I always knew you’d get us home.” The ghost was quiet, but…she sounded happy. And proud. And relieved. And even more proud. Sara scooted down the bed a little farther, lifting up the blanket and scooching Inferno under it. She felt the ghost of a smile cross her lips as she drifted off, for once slightly less worried about what sleep would bring. 

“You did it, Sara. You _won_.” And that was all she needed to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, here we are. The beginnings of the three core members of Fireteam Storm.


End file.
